The Glenair 10 is an attempt to bring an up-to-date aesthetic to Tannoy's classic, top-end Prestige loudspeaker range. The number refers to the driver size - the other model in the Glenair series has a 375mm drive unit in place of the 250mm driver found here. However, the standard Glenair is less likely to find favour in any but the most dedicated of living rooms.

The Glenair 10, with its narrower front baffle, is far more visually appealing to those of us not stuck in the 1950s. What brings the design up to date is the trapezoidal cabinet section and American cherry veneer, complete with a grille that forms a gentle curve.

This shape has been used by Tannoy in the past for more affordable models and has the advantage of reducing the number of parallel surfaces within the box, which of course reduces the potential for standing waves internally.

This particular box is not made of MDF - as is the case with almost all loudspeakers - but plywood, and not any old plywood at that. This, apparently, is made from "birch grown in slow-growing cold regions of the world and selected for its denser quality," according to the brochure.

No indication is given as to its thickness but the cabinet is claimed to be heavily damped and comprehensively braced to reduce resonance from the large panels that flank the speakers. Its grille fits flush with the edges of the cabinet, which looks great and aides the magnetic system used to hold the grille in place.

Beautiful lines

Removing the grilles is assisted by removing a brass thumbscrew from its resting place at the back of each speaker, screwing it into the base of the grille where a brass circle can be seen and pulling it out... you then realise how heavy a grille frame it has as it falls to the floor some three inches below!

This isn't as exciting or as complicated as it sounds, but is actually a nicely thought out system that means there are no ugly plastic sockets ruining the look of the front baffle.

The drive unit is a ten-inch (250mm) framed example of Tannoy's classic dual concentric design with a pulped paper cone and twin rolled fabric surround, the latter being a retro approach to edge termination that's highly regarded by our fellow hi-fi nuts in Japan. It limits excursion and makes for a stiff overall drive unit.

In its magnetic centre is a 25mm metal dome, with an output guided by a short exponential horn, the result being that both drivers operate around the same central axis. A true point-source driver would have both drivers in the same plane, but as the cone is so much deeper than the dome this is not possible with dynamic drivers.

However, the coaxial arrangement produces a symmetrical polar dispersion both vertically and horizontally, which should aid image precision. The speaker terminals are arranged in circular fashion, which looks attractive and allows for a fifth terminal beside the bi-wire pair. This green terminal is included to allow you to earth the speaker to your amplifier.

This apparently optimises the performance further than mere bi-wiring but the literature does not explain why. Still, we gave it a spin with another length of cable connected to a chassis fixing on the amplifier.

This is an elegant but generously sized loudspeaker, more efficient than average and thus easier to drive.

The specification suggests amplifiers that can deliver 50 watts or more, but it seemed to work rather well with the new Sugden A21 Series 2. This is no doubt due to the Class A operation as much as anything else, but whatever it was, it made for a beguiling combination. The smooth style of the amplifier brought a touch of polish to the all-revealing nature of the Glenair's midrange.

However, this did nothing to disguise the fact that the Tannoy has an uncanny ability to delve deep into the mix and deliver seemingly every last nuance of the recording. The depth of soundstage it found on Keith Jarrett's Carnegie Hall Concert proved highly revealing of the ailments that seem to afflict many of those lucky enough to attend - there's a fair amount of coughing going on as well!

Then there are the master's vocalisations, which are still inclined to flow freely and which you can almost touch when this degree of 'being there' is brought into the living room. The Glenair is adept at revealing the timbral signature of instruments and voices, thanks to the paper-based nature of its main driver.